College Sports

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University President Mike Garrison said in a deposition that former football coach Rich Rodriguez was "very distraught" in a private meeting the night before he resigned and accepted the top job at Michigan, complaining about harsh public reaction to a lost shot at a national championship.

As part of the $4 million lawsuit the university has filed over a buyout clause in the coach's contract, Garrison testified the two had a tense final meeting Dec. 15 — one in which the president admits he may have raised his voice and one in which Rodriguez allegedly put his head in his hands and complained about how difficult his choice was.

A transcript of Garrison's deposition was released late Monday, along with testimony by chief of staff Craig Walker, assistant athletic director Mike Parsons and two members of the WVU Board of Governors.

Garrison also denied in the June proceeding he had misled Rodriguez into signing the contract that was in effect when he quit, disputing assertions he told the coach he didn't believe in and wouldn't enforce buyouts.

Nor did he suggest that if a dispute arose, the parties would probably settle for $2 million, Garrison testified.